Collapsible containers



June 20, 1961 H. D. SWARTZ COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1957 FIG. 1

June 20, 1961 H. D. SWARTZ 2,989,226

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Filed June 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1250K. ZZv flZZ United States Patent V 2,989,226 7 COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Henry D. Swartz, 101 Verndale St., Brookline, Mass. Filed June 4, 1957, Ser. No. 663,431 2 Claims. (Cl'. 229-41) The present invention relates to containers and more particularly, tocollapsible containers of a type comprising a base, a cover and wall panels which when disassembled may be contained within a compartment defined by the base and the cover or otherwise associated with the base and the cover in a compact package.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a durable and attractive container of the foregoing type having especially designed and fabricated base, cover and wall components, which are easily assembled and disassembled by virtue of a novel snap fastener construction characterized by mated snap fastener elements on two of the components coacting through an opening in a third.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the product possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: I

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the present invention, with its components disassembled in condition for storage or transportation;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the embodiment of FIG. 1, suggesting relationships amoung the various components;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 in assembled condition;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 3, taken substantially along the line 44;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, with its components disassembled in condition for storage or transportation;

FIG. -6 is a perspective exploded view of the container of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 of the container of FIG. 5.

Generally the embodiments disclosed herein as illustrative of the present invention comprise a lower base and an upper lid, each with a face portion of particular configuration and a rim portion along the periphery of the face portion. The rim portion of the base and the rim portion of the lid, which preferably are of the same extent, but which may be of unequal extent so that they may be telescoped, define a compartment, when registered, within which the remaining components of the container may be stored or in conjunction with which the remaining components may be packaged. The adjoining portions of the base and two of the remaining components are removably connected by a snap fastener element on the base mated through an opening in one of the two remaining components to a snap fastener element on the other of the two remaining components. The base and lid are composed of an opaque material such as cardboard or cardboard covered with quilted plastic or fabric. The walls are composed of a substantially rigid transparent synthetic organic polymer such as cellulose acetate from .020 to .030 inch thick, which is capable of having an opening punched therein without cracking or chipping.

The generally rectangular container of FIGS. 1 through 4 comprises a base 20, a lid 22, a pair of end walls 24 Patented June 20, 1961 and 26 and a pair of side walls 28 and 30. Base includes a horizontal face portion 32 and a rim including end portions 34 and 36 and side portions 38 and 40. Lid 22 includes a face portion 42 and a rim including end portions 44 and 46 and side portions 48 and 50.

Wall components 24, 26, 28 and 30 are secured to each other and to base 20 as follows. At the longitudinal extremities of side portions 38 and 40 of base 20 are inwardly directed snap fastener socket elements 52. Extending integrally from the opposite ends of wall portions p 24 and 26 at right angles thereto are pairs of flanges 54.

Each of flanges 54 is provided at its lower end with an opening 56 and at its upper end with an inwardly directed snap fastener socket element 58. Side walls 28 and 30 are provided at the upper and lower edges of their longitudinal extremities with outwardly directed snap fastener stud elements 60 and 62. When the box of FIGS. 1 through 4 is assembled, snap fastener stud elements 60 of side wall components 28 and 30 project through openings 56 of flanges 54 into snap fastener socket elements 52. Also snap fastener stud elements 62 of side walls 28 and 30 project into snap fastener socket elements 58 of flanges 54. An insert 64 of substantially the same size and shape as face 32 of base 20, when superposed upon face 32, clamps walls 24, 26, 28 and 30 tightly against rim portions 34, 36, 38 and 40, respectively.

The construction is such that wall components 24, 26, 28 and 30 may be contained compactly within the compartment defined by base 20 and lid 22 when the rim portions of the base and the lid, which are of the same extent, are registered. The box may be readily assembled by snapping fastener studs 60 and 62 into fastener sockets 5'8 and 52 or may be readily disassembled by unsnapping the fastener studs from the fastener sockets. When the box is assembled, flanges 54, which as indicated above, are rigidly at right angles to the faces of walls 24 and 26, rigidly orient walls 24, 26, 28 and 30 with respect to each other.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 comprises a base 66, a lid 68, and two wall panels 70 and 72. Base 66 includes a circular face 76 and an annular 78. Lid 68 includes a circular face 80 and an annular rim 82. Rim 78 and rim 82 are equal in peripheral diameter. Each of wall panels 70 and 72 includes at one of its vertical extremities three male snap fastener elements 84, 86 and 88 and at the other of its vertical extremities two female snap fastener elements 90 and 92 and an opening 94. Snap fastener elements 88 are adapted to mate through openings 94 with a pair of female snap fastener elements 96 on rim 7 8.

Wall panels 70 and 72, which are shipped and stored in flat condition, are assembled simply by mating elements 84, '86 and 88 with elements 90, 92 and 96 and thereafter pressing an insert 98, which is of substantially the same shape and extent as face 76, downwardly thereupon.

Since certain changes may be made in the above product without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible container comprising a generally rectangular base, a generally rectangular lid, a first pair of walls each having end flanges at right angles to the body thereof and a second pair of walls, first snap fastener elements on portions of said base, second snap fastener elements on portions of said end flanges, third snap fastener elements on portions of said second pair of walls, other portions of at least one of said flanges being provided with openings, selected ones of said second snap fastener elements being mated with selected ones of said third snap fastener elements, selected ones of said first snap fastener elements being mated through said openings with selected ones of said third snap fastener elements.

2. A collapsible container comprising a generally rectangular base, a generally rectangular lid, a first pair of walls each having end flanges at right angles to the body thereof, and a second pair of walls, first snap fastener elements on portions of said base, second snap fastener elements on portions of said end flanges, third snap fastener elements on portions of said second pair of walls, other portions of at least one of said flanges being provided with openings, selected ones of said second snap fastener elements being mated with selected ones of said third snap fastener elements, selected ones of said first snap fastener elements being mated through said openings with selected ones of said third snap fastener elements, said base and said lid being composed of an opaque material, said wall components being composed of a transparent plastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 472,791 Johannigman Apr. 12, 1892 2,130,019 Meier Sept. 13, 1938 2,713,847 Blaise July 26, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,823 Great Britain Aug. 16, 1904 602,547

Great Britain May 28, 1948 

